Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous Vehicle Testing

We developed the Autonomous Vehicle Tester Program in 2014 to allow manufacturers to test autonomous vehicles with a human in the driver seat. In 2018, we established the Autonomous Vehicle Driverless Tester Program for manufacturers to test their technology without a driver. Learn more about the programs, regulations, and applying for a permit.

Autonomous Vehicle Regulations

Since we started considering the implications of autonomous vehicle technology on California roads in 2013, we’ve worked to develop regulations for testing and deployment, held public hearings and workshops, and hit key milestones.

Disengagement Reports

Every year, permit holders in the Autonomous Vehicle Tester Program and Autonomous Vehicle Driverless Tester Program must track and report the number of times their vehicles needed to disengage from autonomous mode during tests.

General Disclaimer

When interacting with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Virtual Assistant, please do not include any personal information.

When your chat is over, you can save the transcript. Use caution when using a public computer or device.

Third-Party Translation Disclaimer

The DMV chatbot and live chat services use third-party vendors to provide machine translation. Machine translation is provided for purposes of information and convenience only. The DMV is unable to guarantee the accuracy of any translation provided by the third-party vendors and is therefore not liable for any inaccurate information or changes in the formatting of the content resulting from the use of the translation service.

The content currently in English is the official and accurate source for the program information and services DMV provides. Any discrepancies or differences created in the translation are not binding and have no legal effect for compliance or enforcement purposes. If any questions arise related to the information contained in the translated content, please refer to the English version.

I agree

Google™ Translate Disclaimer

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) website uses Google™ Translate to provide automatic translation of its web pages. This translation application tool is provided for purposes of information and convenience only. Google™ Translate is a free third-party service, which is not controlled by the DMV. The DMV is unable to guarantee the accuracy of any translation provided by Google™ Translate and is therefore not liable for any inaccurate information or changes in the formatting of the pages resulting from the use of the translation application tool.

The web pages currently in English on the DMV website are the official and accurate source for the program information and services the DMV provides. Any discrepancies or differences created in the translation are not binding and have no legal effect for compliance or enforcement purposes. If any questions arise related to the information contained in the translated website, please refer to the English version.

The following pages provided on the DMV website cannot be translated using Google™ Translate: